Shipwrecked
by ImonZ
Summary: Vyse, Aika and Fina gets stranded on a deserted isle. For how long will they have to endure... and will they be saved?
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

"I just can't believe this is for real!" Aika shouted.

"At least we landed safe and sound," Fina said, worried, "But this doesn't look good."

"Hey, come on now. Get yourselves together," Vyse said.

What had happened was this: Earlier, Vyse and his two friends had travelled from Comienzo; a new village on the east coast of Valua. What would've been a trip straight back to Crescent Isle had all out of a sudden turned into a stop in thin air. As their altitude decreased, panic increased on the bridge.

Except for Vyse.

Quickly he had spotted a large enough island, and made a controlled, however a quite rough, landing. Not one of them was hurt. It wasn't all too bad, except that they were now marooned.

"How am I gonna do that!?" Aika said, "Stranded in the middle of nowhere and the closest ship is a wreck!"

"Because we're not in the 'middle of nowhere'," said Vyse. "We didn't make it very far until we had to land. Look over there: Valua is just across the horizon."

Aika and Fina lightened up.

"Oh, yes it is," Fina said. "And doesn't the Nasr trade-line go along here?"

"You've studied the map well, Fina."

"Really!?" Aika exclaimed happily. "So I got worked up at nothing!?"

"Not exactly," Vyse said. "We are close to land, yes, and the chances are big that someone might pass by. But" He held up his finger. "It may take a long time."

"So what are we going to do until then?" Fina wondered.

Luckily, Vyse was not new to this situation. For two weeks he had been marooned on Crescent Isle, before they had set up their base. He knew what they had to do, and in what order. Aika and Fina were aware of that, and they knew Vyse would know how to handle this.

"First thing first," Vyse started. "We have to fix a signal fire, be ready to light it up at any moment, and keep out watching for any passing ships. And secondly, see if this little rock has any food."

"If we don't find any wood, how 'bout we set the _Wave Line _on fire? That would a good bonfire, would it?"

"Should we?" Fina said. "Isn't there anything we can do to fix it?"

"Hey, I'm not the technical one here."

"It depends on what the problem is," Vyse said, thoughtful. "Ships don't just stop working. There's always a reason, and it could be…" He made a concentrated face, "That the moonstones ran out."

"So if we find any stones, will we be able to get up and going?"

"Probably not. At least not all the way to Crescent. When I was marooned, I only found just a few, and they wouldn't be enough to get far. So we can't count on that."

And so Vyse, Aika and Fina fanned out to search for fire-material.

It was a small, oval-shaped isle. A couple of trees here and there. One of them had been broken in two because of the _Wave Line's _rough landing. Vyse and Aika immediately went to get some tools from their ship to make some logs from it. Fina herself ventured on. Across the plain, she saw a small cliff, accompanied by a tiny, tiny forest. Curious about what she could find, Fina crossed the isle and climbed over the cliff. And what a discovery it was! Just at the edge of the isle was a small pond. She skipped down and had a closer look at it. The surface was calm and crystal-clear. It looked fresh, if they could just filter it a bit.

Back at the _Wave Line_, the two Blue Rogues had just stacked the wood for the signal-fire. Just some stones and it then would be complete.

"Do we have enough?" Aika asked.

Vyse nodded.

"Yes. And we can keep it burning constantly, as we don't have to risk of running out of fuel. Although, it seems like we've ran out of… oh, here she comes."

Aika looked up from her work and saw Fina come walking towards them. For some reason, the silvite seemed quite happy. Maybe she had found a dug-down lunchbox, or a well-hidden restaurant.

"Good news," Fina said. "I found some water."

"Water?" Vyse echoed. "Great, that saves us some problem. Did you find anything else?"

"Yes, some apple trees."

As soon as Fina said the word "apple", Vyse knew what was going to come.

"Apples!?" Aika sparkled. "Fruit!! Where, where, where!?"

And there it came. Even if she were marooned, Aika would always be sucker for fruits. It was good to see that she hadn't broken down completely.

Aika and Fina went off, while Vyse entered the ship. After gathering some tools, he started to work on the engine. After some mild patching up, it looked pretty okay. If a ship could take a couple of hits from a cannon, it wouldn't get reduced to spare parts just because it landed a bit rough. The moonstones were the real issue.

More like, the absence of them.

But maybe the two lifeboats had enough juice to…? No, not even the two of them could power up the _Wave Line_ for a journey that long.

_And we had moonstones back home anyway! _Vyse thought angrily.

But of course, they were lucky to run out of fuel in such a fitting spot. Had they continued a bit longer, maybe they would've ended up on the bottom of the world, after they had all been crushed by the high pressure. Just a little longer…

Wait a second!

Vyse's thoughts stopped at the sheer realization. If they couldn't reach Crescent Isle, why then didn't they just go back to Valua? Just to the coast, and then straight to the closest harbour. If they combined the fuel from the lifeboats and managed to find some stones…

_Impossible is after all only a word_, Vyse thought.

"Vyyyseee!!" was heard from outside.

He went out on the deck, and saw out on the field that Aika and Fina had set up a campfire. A steaming pot hung just above it. A nice piece of handiwork in such a short time. The sight and the smell made his appetite jump out, raring' to go.

"Dinner's calling!" Aika called again, "Can you bring some cutlery?"

"And bowls!" Fina called while adding some salt from a salt cellar.

"Sure thing!" Vyse answered.

Quickly he went back into the ship. _Wave Line _wasn't very big, but there was a small pantry in the bedroom, just next to the cargo hold.

Vyse found the cutlery quickly enough, and then went to the cargo. After moving aside some barrels with gunpowder, he found it; his secret cargo. He had thought of saving it until they got back home, but this might be needed now. After a quick check, he saw that the lid was untouched. Quickly he broke the seal, grabbed three of them, and put them into his inner-pocket.

_This_, Vyse thought, _will be appreciated._

Carrying both cutlery and secret, he left the ship's interior and headed away to the enticing dinner. Whatever they had cooked up, it sure smelled delicious, especially if Fina had been leading the cooking. No matter how little she had known about of the world when she came here, in cooking she was becoming a master. Fina wanted to learn new stuff, and she enjoyed making food, for her friends in particular.

"About time, slowpoke," Aika said, jokingly surly, "Had it been any longer, I wouldn't have needed cutlery."

"And then I guess there wouldn't've been anything left for us," Vyse replied as he handed out bowls and spoons, "So, what's on the menu tonight?"

"Mishmash-soup from the _Wave Line_," Fina said, "And for dessert…"

"Apples from the middle of nowhere!" Aika chimed, "Yummy!"

"You sure it isn't just outside of Valua?" Vyse remarked.

"Yeah, I know about that. But that doesn't sound very glamorous, does it?"

Not in the mood to discuss geography, the three friends spooned up a portion each. And it was sure delicious alright. There were not very many ingredients, but homemade cooking had a certain charm, especially if you were marooned and couldn't afford being picky. And the taste of new bought wares wasn't too bad. Even though they cultivated enough vegetables back home, they had bought a couple of boxes. All to feed the trading. And good fortune was that. Curious how meat, onions and vegetables could make such a good soup.

"Now _that _was tasty," Vyse said and put down his bowl.

"Yep," Aika said. "'Cause _I _mixed it, didn't I, Fina?"

"No," Fina replied. "But you peeled the carrots."

Seemed like Fina had worked on her wit.

"Yeah, Ms. Picky, but look how nice they turned out."

"You mean those you didn't peel away?"

"Wha… Vyse! She's teasing!"

"Now be quiet," Vyse said in a typical parent-voice, "Else, you two won't be getting any dessert tonight."

"Hah, look who's talking! It was _us_ who picked it!"

"Yeah, but I bought _these_," Vyse stuck his hand in his pocket while he was talking. Both Aika and Fina seemed curious to know what he was up to. "I had thought to wait until we got back home, but here ya go."

Vyse stretched out his hand and revealed the three chocolate pralines. Wrapped in purple paper, it was an enticing sight. Back when the Valua's upper city still existed, these things were the living blood of all coddled noblewomen. If it was adequate for them, it was enough for three Blue Rogues.

"Thank you," Fina smiled and took a bar.

Sparkling with delight Aika stretched out, but just as she was about to take her praline, her hand flicked up and lightly touched Vyse's cheek.

"How sweet," she said and snatched her piece.

"Well," Vyse smirked, "Gotta keep the ladies happy, as they say." The two girls nodded agreeing. "And we sure deserved it. We've handled this very well."

"Hey," Aika said, having just bit off one half of her praline, "What else can you expect from us? But it's a good thing you've been through this once already."

"Nah, you would make it on your own," Vyse answered, "As it looks, it would be enough with the signal-fire."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next time Fina and I will be cast away-ed, and then _you_ can wake up on that honeymoon-ride!"

"You mean that _pink _nightmare?" Vyse said, "Then she better have caught Gilder already. I'll not be stand-in for him."

"Don't worry, Vyse," Fina smiled. "We'd come save you."

"Or we'll be bridesmaids at your wedding," Aika giggled.

After finishing their dessert, both apples and chocolate, the three friends remained seated around the fire. Vyse remembered what he had thought about the moonstones. Should he tell them? Why not, but also, why? Vyse sure didn't want to keep his friends stranded. On the other hand, this was an excellent opportunity to practice at being marooned. Of course, now they were close to land anyway. If the situation had been different, he would've dug up the whole island by now chasing moonstones. This could be an invaluable experience, if they ever got separated again.

"Vyse?" Fina suddenly said.

"Yes?"

"How was it the first time you were marooned?"

Vyse leant back a bit, threw a brief glance to the north-east.

"Kinda OK, actually," he said, "At least 'cause it ended well. Sure, it felt good to not having to topple a flock of loopers every second. But mostly I was worried about you two."

"Us?" Aika said, "Heh, if you just knew how much _we _were. I mean, the two of us were together, but you were out there on your own."

"Sure I was, but at least _I _knew I was alright."

"But wasn't it hard to be alone?" Fina asked, "And were you never worried about yourself?"

Vyse didn't reply at once. Fina had actually some good points there. It had been far from sure that anyone would pass by. If Gonzales had been alive, he could've testify the lack of ships around that isle.

"I tried not to think of it," Vyse answered, "By the way, as long as there's life, there's hope."

"I _knew _he was gonna say it," Aika grinned, "Fina; cash up! You owe me five gold."

"W… why do I do that?" was Fina's reply.

"Oh, come on! Don't you know what 'bet' means?"

"Yes I do. That's why I know I never agreed to such a thing."

The three friends burst out in laughter. It was just a regular day, except that they were marooned. But at least they were together this time.

And they would make it through.

xXx

Late that evening, Vyse sat up at the signal-fire, scouting. If any ships would show up today, they would have to come quickly. Few people sailed during night, unless they wanted to seek out Black Pirates.

Vyse fingered restlessly at the binoculars. He already started to regret he hadn't told Aika and Fina about the lifeboats. The thought was good, but now the lesson had been learned for all three of them. It was enough. Tomorrow they would leave.

Vyse picked up the binoculars, let the matches remain but covered them with cloth, stood up and started to walk the short way to the stranded _Wave Line_.

The bedroom window was lit up invitingly. It had been a long day, some sleep would fit nicely. Vyse made his way towards the bedroom. He could already hear the sound of the girls' small talk and giggling. The door was closed, so Vyse knocked. No one screamed for him to leave because 'we're dressing in here!!', so he opened up and walked in. Aika and Fina lay on a bunk bed. Aika had the lower bunk, while Fina resided in the higher bunk.

"Did anyone show up?" Fina asked, not sounding very hopeful.

"Quiet as the grave," Vyse said and took off his boots, "Seems like the merchants are taking the day off, or we scared them away."

"Hey, don't look at me," Aika said.

Vyse walked up to the hammock, wrenched off his socks, waistcoat and undershirt. After acquiring a blanket he lay down. He kept his waistcoat for pillow. Fina noticed that, and offered Vyse one of her pillows, which he gladly accepted.

It felt good to get some rest. Closing his eyes, slowly sail away to the lands of Morpheus with the hammock rocking slightly, giving a floaty feeling of being deprived of gravity.

"Is there really a trade-way along here?" Aika asked all out of sudden.

"As good as," Fina said. "Maybe I was a bit wrong."

"Mmm, better a little than 'very'."

"I sure hope someone will pass by. Not even the lifeboats are in shape."

Vyse eyelids moved up. WHAT had Fina said!?

"What!?" he burst out, and sat straight up.

"The lifeboats are not in shape," Aika said. "Broken. We went to check them out while you were scouting. I can tell that now they're just as flyable as Blueheim."

Vyse leapt out of the hammock and rushed away to the lifeboat's "hangar" in the _Wave Line's _stern. And what a sight it was! The boats themselves were actually okay, but the engines were in bad shape. The moonstones had been reduced to moon dust, the wings lay in rags. Just like the ropes that was supposed to keep the vessels tied down.

A bad end for a bad day.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

And so the days passed, with some fruit-gathering, fishing, cooking, checking the sky for ships, and an occasional friendly scuffle. These often concluded in Vyse's victory, unless Aika and Fina stuck together against him.

One day it had rained. They were all set-up for a moonstone hunt. Unfortunately they didn't find a single one. However, they had taken the occasion to collect more water. The pond wouldn't last forever. They also had to ration the food, and only had one meal every day.

When three days had gone, both Fina and Aika became disheartened. Not that they were in despair, but they grow more accustomed to the thought that perhaps their visit would be a long one. Vyse was determined to not have Aika and Fina's spirits go down.

"We will get through this, one way or another," he said, while they were sitting around their campfire, "We've been through harder times than these. And the company sure couldn't get worse… I mean bette…."

"What did you just say there!?" Aika snarled.

"No, I meant…"

"Now that's it! For that, we'll put you in the pot and cook you!"

"No," Fina said, "Better let him do something practical. Make us dinner for the rest of our stay."

"Good thinking," Vyse said. "I've always wanted to put you two on a diet."

Their reaction didn't surprise him a bit. If his common sense didn't tell him, the killer-eyes Aika and even Fina (to a slight degree) gave him spoke their clear meaning. No mercy would be given.

"Battle-posts, Fina," Aika said, "Take the left side."

"There will be nothing _left_," Fina said, perfectly demonstrating that she knew what a pun was, "I'm locked and loaded."

"Okay!" Vyse said and stood up, preparing himself, "Bring it on!"

Aika and Fina flung themselves upon him from either side. It didn't take long until he started to loose his balance, and only having one pair of arms to fend them away with didn't help much either. Vyse moved his left foot backward to get a more stable foothold; he could already feel the beginning of a tripping up. Luckily, he was prepared for this. Vyse evaded the trap, got a better grip around Fina and Aika and pushed them together. Split up, they were dangerous. A one-front war was preferable; he might even get a chance.

Aika then slipped behind him and tried to lock his arms. Vyse wriggled loose at the last moment, but meanwhile Fina had grabbed him around his waist, trying to shove him over her outstretched foot. Vyse swiftly jumped over, turned around, and immediately got a whole load of Aika and Fina to deal with.

Aika suddenly thrust out with her hand straight into Vyse's face. Not to injure him, but to cover his eyes. Fina followed up with a hard push. But as Vyse held on to them, both Fina and Aika joined their captain on his stumbling backward trip. He started to fall, but at the last moment he twisted around so that his opponents hit the ground before he did. On the impact, both Aika and Fina tried to wring loose from Vyse's grip, but he had them pinned down.

"Hah, that was easy," Vyse said triumphantly. "Taught you a lesson, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Aika said, "That you weigh a ton, you're squashing us."

"It's all muscle, if you know what that is."

"Was that a question?" Fina said, puzzled, "You really shouldn't ask _me_ for definitions."

"At least you've been taught what oppression means," Aika said.

"Pay no attention to her," Vyse said. "I never do…"

"Neither do I," Fina filled in.

"What!?" Aika exclaimed, "Whose side are you on, anyway!?"

"The one that won, of course."

Vyse grinned widely, loosened the grip around them both and stood up. Small playful disputes like these made their stay more bearable. It gave them something else to focus on. Just for a moment, they could forget that they were stranded. If they felt better using him as some sort of punching-bag, it was worth it… as long as he won of course.

xXx

As usual, Aika woke first. She didn't sleep unnecessarily long, and now she had additional reasons; if any ships passed them by, it wouldn't be because they slept in.

She jumped out of bed, made a quick fix with her braids, and gathered her other accessories. She was already dressed. Not because of lack of a nightgown, but if she needed to rush out and light up the signal-fire it would take too long to dress. And if they wanted to reward the one who might save them, the reward should not consist of seeing Aika in her lingerie. If anyone did, they would get a close-up of her boomerang. Before they conked out.

Fina and Vyse were fast asleep. Vyse's bare foot hung teasingly out from his hammock. The temptation was big indeed, Aika could already feel her fingertips tingle, and her wrist almost by reflexes started to twist in his direction. Tempting, but she decided to let him remain sleeping.

On the way out, she stopped by the pantry to make a sandwich. Breakfast was not to be missed. After that, she pondered on whether to go get a praline. Just for once her better self won; after all it was Vyse who had bought them in the first place.

When she had everything she needed, she went to the lookout, where their signal-fire awaited. She sat down, with her gaze towards the west, her thoughts wandering.

How would things be if no one would pass by? What if they remained here for the rest of their lives? No, just like Vyse had said, there was hope for rescue. But if no rescue would come for them, wasn't there anything they could do? Sending Cupil away was maybe a bit risky. Or they could wait for Vyse to grow a beard, and then use it to twine a rope-bridge. Only problem with that was that they would have to wait several years for it to grow long enough to make it over to Valua. Plus, Aika could already imagine Vyse's reaction to her suggestion. He'd probably stare at her like she was crazy and then say something mean about her little head.

_Yeah, sounds funny coming from Mr-nothing's- impossible. Hey, not bad! Gotta remember to say that!_

Vyse would sure have a hard time arguing against her proposal, beaten by his own words like that. Being the eternal optimist that he was. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It was great to have someone who never stopped fighting. Thanks to him and his attitude, firm resolve and refusal to give up; Galcian had been defeated and the world saved.

Even if no rescue came, well, Aika was together with her two best friends in the whole world, so it wouldn't be all too bad.

xXx

No ships arrived. The sky lay bare. The day passed, and it became dinnertime.

"I never thought I'd say this," Aika sighed, "But I'm starting to loose my appetite for apples."

With wide eyes, Vyse stared at Aika just like he had seen a ghost. Even Fina seemed amazed. Vyse leaned forward and carefully tugged Aika's braids.

"It IS really her," Vyse said, "But I still can't believe it. Fina, you heard that too, right?""

"Shaddap with you!" Aika snarled, grabbed an apple and threw it at Vyse's forehead.

Aika had thrown loose enough so that Vyse wouldn't get hurt. He caught the fruit on the return-bounce and started to devour it.

"I'm almost agreeing with you," Fina said, "Even though they are very healthy."

"Maybe not. Eating a whole lot of fruit isn't really good for ya. I've heard that the pips of the apples can take root inside your body, and a fruit-tree will grow up from your head, and after that… hey, why are you at me looking so strange!?"

Vyse tried to imagine a tree growing out of Aika's head, and branches through her ears, without any success. It was all too weird. Just like usual.

"You and your little head," Vyse said, resigned, "That's impossible."

"Hah! 'Impossible is only a word' and all that! Sounds familiar, does it? Does it?"

"Okay, it's very farfetched."

"Farfetched? Look, when Fina and I pick fruit from you, don't come crying to me! Just hope we'll plant you someplace nice!"

Vyse shook his head. He said to Fina:

"She was just the same when she was a kid. See what I had to put up with?"

"Yeah, back then you actually believed all that," Aika said, "Like the grimaces we thought would stick, remember that?"

"Sure, but I just wanted to see if it really worked."

"It would have. If we just hadn't been forced to go home and eat."

"Didn't we continue? Mum did tell us to stop."

"Ha-ha, they must've been real saints for being able to put up with us!"

Fina collected her bowl and cutlery and started to get back to the _Wave Line_.

"I'll go and scout," she said over her shoulder.

"Okay," Vyse replied. "Just tell me when you want a change."

The silvite didn't answer. Then again, looking into the skies was an easy task that didn't call for linguistic skills or deep understanding in the acquisition and spending of money.

xXx

The day passed, and soon it was evening. Vyse and Aika retired back to the ship. Fina seemed to have settled for scouting a bit longer, even if the skies now were too dark to spot any ships.

An hour had passed, yet Fina still hadn't showed up. Aika had dazed off pretty early, but Vyse remained awake. It wasn't easy to rest knowing that someone still did her chores. Having settled his mind; he got out of his hammock, got dressed, and went out of the ship, to the lookout.

Fina sat there, just like when they had left her. Her face was turned towards the west. Cupil floated around her.

"Hey!"

Fina turned. She smiled quickly, but only with her mouth. In her eyes laid a gaze that Vyse wasn't really used to. But he didn't like it. Cupil looked at Vyse with an expression that seemed to be almost concerned.

"What's wrong?" Vyse asked.

"Nothing."

"You seem a bit down."

"I'm not," Fina answered, "I'm just worried that maybe no one will come and save us. We could be stuck here for a long time."

"Is that all?"

Fina's weak smile was now gone. She turned down her gaze, and let it wander westward.

"No," she said, "But at any rate, it was a long time ago, and it was not a big deal."

"Anything that makes you sad is not 'little' for me," Vyse said, and he really meant it.

"Thank you," Fina said, "I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather not talk about it, because…" She seemed to get stuck.

"Because of what?"

"… because you would just feel guilty."

Vyse had expected a lot, but not this. Whatever did Fina mean by that?

"What have I done?" he managed to say.

"Nothing," Fina said, "I said you would _feel _guilty, but I don't hold you responsible."

"Then who is?" Aika's voice said.

Vyse turned around, and saw Aika walking towards them. Apparently he hadn't made such a quiet walk away after all. She stopped when she reached Vyse.

"Are you really sure it wasn't that 'big' after all?" Aika said, "If there is something, you know you can tell us."

These were well-put words, and Vyse settled for just nodding in agreement. Fina herself seemed to be lost in thought. It seemed as she was on the verge of speaking, but she kept quiet.

"Alright," Fina said finally, "I'll tell you."

Aika and Vyse walked up to the little lookout and sat down on either side of Fina. Cupil floated right above their heads. Usually, the three of them were pretty open-minded around each other, and there were very few things they kept private. So this was not a usual occasion, and it was best that Fina was the one to start.

"First of all" she began, "I do enjoy hearing about your old memories, I really do. But today, I… It made me think of old times, when I was of that age as you were, back at the shrine. And eventually all bad things that happened after."

So that's why Fina thought they would feel guilty. Fina was selfless and dearly devoted to her two friends. But if it meant that she would have to keep her troubles locked up inside herself, it was no good. Friendship worked in both directions.

"Do you often think of it?" Aika asked.

"Sometimes," Fina replied, "At that time, it was my home. But it never felt like a home is supposed to, like Crescent. And up there, I never had the chance to… I feel I've missed so much."

It would be a lie to assert that she hadn't. Growing up at the silver shrine, isolated and alone, there were so many things she hadn't had the chance to do, to have a normal life. All in all, it was far from perfect.

"I understand that they were hard times for you," Vyse said. "They're over now. You've had a bad start, but as every day passes, you're catching up."

"You do," Aika said, "And you remember what I told you after the Battle of Soltis? When you asked if you could continue sailing with us?"

"Yes," Fina replied, "I'll never forget it. You said: 'We wouldn't have it any other way'."

"Yep. And that's still on. It is possible to leave bad stuff behind, maybe not everything. It's hard to do it on your own, but together. I've had bad things happen to me too. But I'm through with it now. Of course, it's not wrong to be sad, but there is a way out. Maybe I'm just rambling but… well. I just don't want you to feel low."

"Even if you can't forget, you can live with it," Vyse said. "But for all that it matters, Fina, don't let it weigh you down. But if it does, we'll be there."

"I know," Fina answered, faintly, and then her face was lit up by a warm smile. "I know you will, and I'm so glad to have you with me."

"The feeling's mutual," Aika said.

_This is happiness_, Fina thought.

Indeed it was. Having two wonderful friends who would always stay by her side. They would always be there for her, without any other reason than it was her. They wanted to do that, just as much and for the same reason Fina wanted to be there for them. Together through thick and thin.

Always… Many years from now, she would've spent more time with Vyse and Aika than being alone. Would they still be together that long? Fina had learned the hard way that all things you held for eternally granted could crash down. But still… Fina knew that their fellowship was something special.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

xXx

Vyse sat up at the lookout. He was all alone since Aika and Fina were at the pond to fresh themselves up. That meant that Vyse was, in Aika's words, "extremely very much banned" from the east part of the isle, unless he wanted his "knees kicked in and jaw twisted out of joint".

"What if I want to go blind?" had Vyse asked.

Fina had misunderstood Vyse's teasing, and answered that Cupil might peck out his eyes.

"At least your last sight would be a lovely one," Aika had grinned.

No thanks, he needed his eyes to keep watch. Several times he had thought he saw something, but they had all been false alarms. Away at the horizon, a flock of birds could be seen. At this distance, they only looked like black marks. Birds had it easy, Vyse thought. They didn't need moonstones to stay in the air.

From the pond, splashes and shouts could be heard. Vyse shook his head to clear out the involuntary mental picture that suddenly appeared in his mind, but he wasn't even tempted to turn his head. They were permanently banned from his already empty list on allowable-peeping-objects.

One of the birds seemed to have changed course, and flew towards the isle. It had separated totally from its flock. Also, it sailed very stiffly, just like a…

Ship!

Vyse quickly reached for the binoculars and had a look. Yes! Sails, bulkheads, ship wings. Add all that and you got a ship. It was still a bit unclear, so Vyse tuned his eye-patch and watched through the binoculars one more time. Now he saw black sails and a flag with Jolly Roger.

If trouble could be smelled, it would stink.

Out here they were sitting koketas. He must warn Aika and Fina before…

Suddenly something jumped upon him from behind with such power he fell straight down. When he tried to stand up, he found his legs and arms pinned down.

"Ha-ha! We got him!" Aika shouted happily.

"Just like you said," Fina said, "Now, Vyse, will you make us dinner for the rest of our stay?"

"Else ye'll get spanked like no tomorrow been ever seen!"

"Cut it out!!" Vyse snarled. "We got Black Pirates coming in!!"

Two terrified gasps were heard. Aika and Fina immediately got off from Vyse and looked towards the west.

"Are you really sure?" Fina asked, worried,"Did you really see them?"

"And are they really coming this way?" Aika said.

This was no good. Even if it was a dire situation, they had to act. The odds weren't on their side, but they had to do the best they could.

"Listen up," Vyse said, decisively. "We'll still have time before they come in range. Until then we should load the cannons and arm the torpedoes. But before that, strengthen the signal-fire."

"That'll just give them _even _more clues on how to get here!" Aika said.

"They'll get here anyway," Vyse said. "But we'll need all help we can get, the more the better."

Fina had already started to add more logs to the fire. The smoke pillar arose with greater intensity and height. With the fire fixed, the three Blue Rogues went into the ship and prepared both cannons and torpedoes. The _Wave Line _wasn't really a powerhouse, thus any help could mean the difference between win or loss, or even life or death. Maybe they would fare better off in a fight on the ground? But it was not very like Black Pirates to avoid shooting a stranded bird.

Using barrels from the cargo, they managed to make a barricade at the ship's entrance. The _Wave Line _was a big target, but they'd last longer in here, rather than out in the open.

"Bring up all the ammunition," Vyse said. "It's no use for us in the cargo bay."

Meanwhile, Fina had hatched a plan of her own. It sure sounded good, but it would leave her defenceless. Well, the Black Pirates had to be delayed for as long as possible.

Outside, the sounds of cannons could be heard. Fortunately none of the shots made it to the isle. They were still relatively safe.

"Be ready to fire," Vyse said. "Let's show them who they're dealing with!"

There were no doubt Vyse was certain of his words. His courage and determination was like a beacon in darkness. The Black Pirates couldn't have wished for a worse enemy. Only trouble was that he had no ship on his own.

"Aim at the helm," Vyse said, "At the same time."

Aiming cannons from a ship that was still on the ground was a different experience. At the exact moment, they lit the fuse and soon three cannon-balls raced across the skies. Straight at their target. The projectiles smashed into their target with great force.

"Ha-ha!" Aika shouted, "Didn't expect that, did ya!?"

"Great shots!" Vyse said, "Now, take their sails!"

"No!" Fina almost shouted.

Vyse and Aika turned to Fina.

"Why not?" Vyse said.

"You don't need to.

Vyse was just about to ask Fina what in the six moons she meant by that when he looked out from the cannon-port and saw that the enemy ship was soon to be sail-less. Its sails hung loosely at the starboard side, and then fell down on the deck. It could easily be seen that the Black Pirates lost speed.

"I sent Cupil on an errand," Fina said.

"Great, Fina," Vyse said, "But let's keep it up."

With or without sails, the ship was hell-bent on its way to the isle. They kept coming closer and closer. Several cannonballs were fired. Some hit the _Wave Line. _Each shot came closer to the cannons themselves. The Blue Rogues answered as best as they could. But it was not enough to drive the Black Pirates back. All they could do was stall them.

"Oh, no!" Aika shouted, "Vyse, they're moving to higher levels!"

Had it been a regular battle, Vyse would've just moved after them. But that was impossible now. The Black Pirates would move up and then let loose all they had in gunpowder and cannonballs, while he and his friends sat down on the ground. Down…

"Fina, keep them busy as long as you can with the cannons. If they go out of range, keep loading. Aika, get up to the bridge!"

"What will you do?" Aika asked.

"Sink 'em, but I need your help. On my mark, fire the torpedoes."

A booming crash was heard outside, and then the sound of the mast clattering down on the deck. While the silvite remained at the cannons, Aika rushed away to the bridge itself. The torpedoes could only be launched from up there.

"That seems to do it," Vyse shouted, "Now, fire away!"

"You kiddin' me!?" Aika said and pushed the button.

The torpedo was rocketed up from its tube and was already on its way to the Black Pirates.

"Be ready to launch one more!" she heard Vyse calling, "This will take them down!"

"It's only a torpedo!" Aika yelled back, "It'll take much more than that!"

"No! It's gonna _sink _them! Now, fire!!"

With no clue to what Vyse meant with that, Aika pressed the button, sending one more torpedo on a one-way trip towards the Black Pirates.

"Good, now get back down here!"

Aika hurried down from the bridge to the cannons. Fina was in the middle of reloading the cannons, while Vyse looked out from the gunport.

"You made it just in time," Vyse said, "Alright, be ready to shoot them as soon as they've hit our level."

"Like how!?" Aika said, a bit angry. "Did you loose your brain somewhere or what! One or two torpedoes won't be enough!"

"Not to scuttle them, but… oh here they come! Look!"

Now the torpedoes fell from the skies, straight at the Black Pirates. Then they saw that the projectiles would pass, or maybe…

They could clearly hear the thundering crack as the torpedoes hit the target. The ship rapidly started to loose altitude.

"Bu.. but how…" was all Aika managed to say.

"Oh," Vyse said. "What I did back there was that I did some last-minute adjustment to the tubes. Basically, I increased the launching mechanism for the first torpedo. And they're archwale model. You know, the big, heavy ones."

"I see," Fina nodded, "And you managed to make both torpedoes hit at the same time?"

"It was hard, but yes. Though I've thought about it previously."

Aika couldn't help but agree that it sounded like a good plan. The ship was still sinking, however at less velocity. Soon it came down to their level. A hundred meters had never felt so short until now.

"Alright," Vyse said. "Be ready to…"

There, some distance away a new ship had appeared. Sleek, yet heavily armed. They recognised the flag at once. It was from the Valuan armada. Its smoking cannons told them that they were out for Black Pirates. And the direct hits told that there were good shooters aboard.

"Yaaaaaaay!!" Aika shouted, her clenched fist in the air.

"About time they come to our help," Vyse said.

Fina said nothing. In fact, she seemed nervous. That the armada had arrived was great, but there was one thing...

"What's the matter with you?" Aika asked.

"They're still close to us," Fina said. "And it's far longer between them and the armada rather than us."

"And the fastest way through would be…"

The fastest way for the Black Pirates to escape was to follow their course, since the Valuan ship lay behind. And that course would take them straight over the island. Maybe to three hostages…

"Prepare for ground assault," Vyse said, "Fina, you go get the handgun up at the bridge."

Fina darted away. Having no weapon on her own, she felt helpless. Hopefully Cupil was still alive.

Finding the gun wasn't hard, thankfully it was loaded already. It was one of these models that was armed with two bullets at the same time. Its weight felt comforting at this time of crisis, but still… With this weapon she would probably be forced to snuff out the fire of life for at least one person, maybe more. A human being in his best years who maybe didn't have any other choice but to sign up as a Black Pirate.

But if Fina's friends were in peril, and if they depended on her, she would do what was necessary.

When Fina got back down, she was greeted with a surprising sight.

"Pretty neat, eh?" Aika said, "Now THIS will amaze 'em!"

"It's unexpected, yes," Vyse said.

What Vyse and Aika had been doing was loosening one of the cannons and putting it out on the floor. Its gunpoint was aimed straight at the door. Aika stood ready with both her boomerang and a torch to light the fuse.

They were ready.

The rumbling sounds of ship-engines came closer and closer. Ship wings flapped rhythmically in the wind. The whole _Wave Line_ seemed to vibrate and shake. Then they heard the _swiiiish _of something falling.

Only to be interrupted by a booming explosion. The whole ship shook, almost getting lopsided. The Blue Rogues had to struggle to keep on their feet. Unfortunately, the torch Aika held mistakenly swept past the fuse, igniting it.

"Dodge!!" Aika screamed.

The three Rogues threw themselves out of the way. The gunpowder was lit, and the cannon-ball flew out straight at the door. The cannon itself thrust backwards all the way across the room, and hit the wall with a loud crack. The door had been blown off its hinges.

"Whoopsie," Aika said, quite guilty. "That backfired, didn't it?"

No one answered her, since they noticed the sound of the Black Pirate ship. Or, the _absence _of it. Were they already gone? Or did they lie out, waiting?

"Maybe they just passed over us," Vyse said.

"I'll go and have a look," Fina said.

"Be careful."

They saw Fina crossing the room, making her way to the door, having her weapon ready. She popped out her head, and had a look outside.

"It's alright," Fina said. "They're…"

She didn't get much further, until she gave up a yelp of shock, and staggered backwards. Without thinking, Vyse bolted forward with his cutlasses in hands. His only thoughts at that moment were: _Stop him!_ But when he reached her, he saw that it was just…

"Oh, Cupil," Fina said, holding the small creature, "You scared me there, but I'm glad you're back."

Cupil beeped contentedly. Vyse exhaled in relief. Aika came out after him and patted Cupil. To the south, the Black Pirate ship could be seen. With smoking engines, they sailed on. Good riddance.

The _Wave Line's _exterior was badly damaged. The mast laid broken in half, black soot and shrapnel confirmed Vyse's feeling that the pirates had dropped a bomb on them. The ship was down, but not out. And they had made it through. As far as Vyse was concerned, they had won.

"Good thing he could slow them down," Vyse said, and lightly boxed Cupil, "I'm never gonna get angry at Cupil again for stealing my socks."

"What!?" Aika said, "Does he?"

"You can't do that, they're not yours," Fina said to Cupil, without thinking of the slight absurdity in the 'crime', "No, it doesn't matter if you like them or not. You didn't take them when he was wearing them?"

"He _likes _them!?" Aika exclaimed, "Fina, whatever did you do wrong when you raised him?"

"What's so wrong with my socks, if I may ask?" Vyse said, mildly offended.

"Nothing, it's just… I mean, after the MoonStone cannon, your socks are the most hazardous weapons we ever have at our disposal. If you just threw them on Reccumen, we wouldn't have to bail."

"Ha! It's not gonna be _that _easy! Anyway, he's gone and done for anyway."

The Valuan ship had now arrived to their isle. After checking through the ship, and finding out just _who _it was that had been marooned, Vyse managed to get the _Wave Line _partly repaired and stocked up on fuel. And finally, after many days of being stranded, Vyse, Aika and Fina left the island with the course set on Crescent Isle.

xXx

Finally home again! As the three Blue Rogues had left the ship, they decided to leave the unloading for tomorrow. Dinner seemed more tempting. Eventually, Vyse's past plan on how to leave the isle had crept out. Aika and Fina were not exactly joyous about the fact that Vyse had _deliberately_ decided to keep his plan away from them. But after he had explained his reasons, and that his plan wouldn't have worked anyway, they brightened up. At that moment, Aika seemingly hatched a plan for a "combined punishment and reward" and managed to talk Fina into it. Vyse had been caught totally off guard. Unexpected, but not too bad actually. Just one each… on the cheek.

After their dinner, they took a swim in the pool. Aika could sure work on her swimming-skills, but she had become better. Limits were meant to be overcome, as Vyse always said.

At the evening they sat up at the meeting-room, watching the sun set. All past worriness and tension were gone. It felt so nice to just sit back and relax.

"Maybe we got a little side-tracked there," Vyse said, "But we fixed it together. Not even a whole ship of Black Pirates can stop us."

"We are like we are," Aika said, "That's why we made it through. And it's darn good being home again."

"Home is where your heart is," Fina said.

All three of them thought that if it were really so, no one of them had been very far from home at all. But no one said it out loud. It was obvious. And also, a bit cheesy.

* * *

A/N:  
Many, many thanks to user Kkcty for proofreading.  
Happy Christmas!


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